Popular Posts

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Memories of a Storm - and guilt

"Memories" is one of the prompts offered this week by The Gooseberry Garden

Seven or eight and once again
in hospital as Christmas comes -
but this time round have fingers crossed,
hoping to go home tomorrow.

Tonight, a savage thunderstorm:
it shakes the walls and rattles beds,
echoes overlay each other;
flash follows flash without a break.

So sister comes to calm the ward.
We tell her that the bangs are bombs;
the lightning flashes gunfire and
incendiary bombs igniting.

We have an air raid, not a storm.
She plays along. Her face shows fear.
She shelters underneath her desk,
cries oo-er at each flash and bang.

Now matron comes. Is not amused.
Sister, control yourself, she says.
You are more childish than your wards!
(Sister's in trouble, next we hear.)

24 comments:

Marbles in My Pocket said...

Love this one, Dave. Can see it all taking place, and can't help but smile at sister. Awesome writing!
http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/mostly-about-the-past/

haricot said...

I wonder it would be a memory or a happening in the future. That makes people childish easily, I suppose.

Brian Miller said...

interesting dave...i find it interesting that the kids find more comfort in the air raid than the storm...perhaps because they know man over nature...but at least they had some fun...i think the sister should get a medal

Isabel Doyle said...

Some storms really are like air-borne battles.

Always enjoy reading poems about your childhood.

Isabel x

Anonymous said...

This is really lovely; it's really just terrific. So understated and just lovely. I wish I had your gift for the compressed. K.

Pearl said...

Very nice, Dave. You don't give too much, and so it is easy to see...

Pearl

Mary said...

I do enjoy reading your childhood memories, Dave. I also commend you for writing them down!

Sheila said...

Poor sister. Interesting memory.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Interesting memory, Dave.

Rekha said...

A sister who helps her patients heal with something more than medicines is a wonderful memory to have...and the imagination of the wards is endearing. Beautifully expressed.

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

One of those echoes of the past being what we are made of, the sister "playing along" is such a perfect character, I would give her an award.

Maxwell Mead Williams Robinson Barry said...

being childish is troublesome indeed, while there is a child in all of us.

great capture of the sister..and related circumstances.

Maude Lynn said...

Sister sounds wonderful! Superb write.

Windsmoke. said...

Bonza imagery as i could just imagine the bombs falling. I reckon the Matron is a hard nosed woman, unlike the more caring and joyful sister :-).

Anonymous said...

o! poor sister!!!! :(
happy gooseberry day!

http://lynnaima.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/a-dream-and-a-whisper/

kaykuala said...

Dave,
The sister is trained for emergencies but poor thing! The matron must have that compassion though! Great verse!

Hank

MianTariq said...

Dave! sister seems to be dutiful and well trained to help during emergency.

Anonymous said...

Newport Cigarettes not having innate brand Shan Kun, the enterprise to propose "I made, I was responsible" the idea, all regarding the product quality extension, focused on the brand homogenization productivity research and the Cheap Newports, the prominent fine management, vigorously promoted improves continually, eliminated the difference unceasingly. They through the consummation quality assurance system, the standard operation flow, strengthen skill training, the strengthening process control, has guaranteed the group brand homogenization production Newport Cigarettes Website.

In several plants, the determination maintains the big family benefit xnnh76eh, harbored the intense sense of responsibility to work for the big family, is responsible for the brand already to become from the top downward, custom from bottom to top.Red cloud Red River group's various plants have formed the craft exchange group, and is exchanging the production experience together frequently.

Now, cherishes own brand to treasure the group common brand equally likely, already became several cigarette factory general staff's working standard.In mountain elder brother company. Some staff buy back the Red River Cigarette factory Newport Regular Cigarettes spontaneously from the market "Red River" the Marlboro Reds, contrasts the search little, looked that own working condition doesn't have place of the match, from the cigarette paper to the filtering mouth stick, from box Bao Daotiao the package, looks for the question in the minor details, and to is related the equipment to make the transformation Cheap Cigarettes Newport 100s.

Cloudia said...

Naughty monkeys!


Aloha from Waikiki

Comfort Spiral

> < } } ( ° >

><}}(°>

< ° ) } } > <

sunny said...

lovely poetry, Mr Dave

jabblog said...

What a lovely Sister - shame about the Matron;-)

Dave King said...

Marbles in my Pocket
Many thanks for these kind words. Good to hear that you enjoyed it.

haricot
It's definitely a memory. Thanks for the comment.

Brian
Yes, I can't actually remember whether fear of the storm was a factor, but I think the chief one was to tease a very popular sister - hence th guilt feelings when we realised we'd put her in bad with matron.

Isabel
That one was a real beaut! Thank you so much for the comment.

manicddaily
A really lovely comment. I do so appreciate it. Thank you very much.

Pearl
What an interesting and useful response, so greatly valued. Thank you.

Mary
Thank you so much. Remarks like this are very much appreciated.

Sheila
Yes, it was a great shame at the time. Thanks.

Rachna
Thanks. Good to hear.

Rekha
Yes, I have found it very interesting to think back over events in my childhood and to try to imagine them happening now. In many cases they couldn't. Thank you for commenting and a warm welcome to you.

Tommaso
I think we all would have done. She was very popular with all the children.

Morning
Yes, the difference between being child-like and childish. I think matron mistok the one for the other.

Mama Zen
She was. Thank you for the compliment.

Windsmoke
Yup, that's certainly the impression one would get from this particular incident. But matron wasn't all bad - she framed one of my drawings and had it on her desk!!!

lynnaima
Welcome and many thanks.

kaykuala
Thanks for the comment. Much appreciated.

tariq mian
Hi, Good to have your comment. Thank you for it, and yes, she was great.

Cloudia
That's kids for ya!

sunny
Much thanks for the comment.

Dave King said...

Jabblog
Yes, but as I explained above (Windsmoke) there was another side to matron! Thanks for the comment.

Ygraine said...

What a wonderful memory - and so touching.
Makes me appreciate just how lucky I am not to have lived through any wars.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience :)